Three Rules for Building Better Personal and Professional Relationships

Looking to build better personal and professional relationships? Here are three things we should always be working on:

Shut Up & Listen
A few years back, while coaching a young man who was struggling with his selling skills, I wrote “Shut up and Listen” on a card, and encouraged him to refer to it immediately prior to interacting with each customer. Three years and two promotions later, he credits this as the best advice he has ever received. “I even use it when I go out on dates,” he once told me with a grin. Learning how to shut up and listen is perhaps the most valuable skill we can develop for selling, management, leadership – and life.

Be a Rock
Be reliable. Be on time for engagements. Follow through on those things to which you commit. Deliver what you promise. Stand by your friends. Be consistent and loyal. We all like to be around people we can count on.

Lighten Up
Don’t take things – particularly yourself – too seriously. Look on the lighter side of life. Learn the art of being genuinely humble. Embrace your own foibles and frailties and learn to laugh at the things that happen around you. Lose the anger.

Have Fun!

[This is from the Archive Project – where we are attempting to get 10 years of Winning at Work on the web! Original publication date: 20 February, 2005]

Shaun Belding is CEO of The Belding Group and has been consulting and speaking on customer experience, employee engagement and workplace performance for over 25 years

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About The Author

Shaun Belding is a customer service expert, and author of five books on customer service, leadership and workplace success. As a keynote speaker (www.shaunbelding.com) on customer service, Shaun is known for his light-hearted, memorable style.
He leads The Belding Group of Companies, a global customer experience consultancy. Their training division, Belding Training, (www.beldingtraining.com) provides award-winning customer service training to companies around the world.